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serendipitysbooks's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Perris, California is the story of Tessa, a married 27 year old, pregnant with her third child and living in a trailer on her mother-in-law's land. One day, she unexpectedly runs into Mel, a woman whom she had a relationship with when they were in high school, a relationship that Mel's mother discovered and put a stop to by sending Mel away. The story unfolds in dual timelines, and we learn a lot about Tessa's background. There are plenty of trigger warnings including, but not limited to, abuse from both her stepfather and stepbrother. This is definitely a book with a dark and gritty side, one that reminded me of the work of Tiffany McDaniel, albeit lighter, because Tessa was fortunate to encounter light and love as well, firstly in her relationship with Mel and later with Henry and his mother Angie - even if Angie was guilty of being overinvolved in the lives of Henry and Tessa. I thought all the characters were really well drawn, as was the setting. The storytelling was rich with multiple interwoven strands. I didn't see the fate of Nathan coming - and it gutted me. Tessa didn't have an easy life, but over the course of this novel we see her attempt to make peace with her past and move forward, trying to strengthen her family and build the best life she can for her children. Over the past year or two, I've read many books exploring motherhood, a topic Stark explores here as well through the contrasting examples of Amber Jean, Tessa, and Angie, as well as Carly - the desire to become a mother, the struggle to mother well, and the harms, large and small, done to and by mothers. It's an excellent debut, one that deserves more love and attention than I've seen it receive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Violence, and Abandonment
jstar84's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence
mrtruscott's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
For this astonishing book, I come out of review retirement.
I highly recommend this book — It is one of the most beautifully written, fully realized novels I have read in some time.
This should come with flashing neon trigger warnings, as it is rough in places. It is worth finding a way around the triggers. Learn to skim. Get a neutral person to mark the rough spots for you to avoid. Whatever it takes.
I was already familiar with this part of California, but I feel like I drove down back streets and set off the neighborhood dogs along driveways I I looked in people’s windows, hearts and minds.
Life is rough and unfair and brutal, and doesn’t come with trigger warnings. But life can also be so randomly beautiful that it makes tears spring to your eyes.
This book. Brutal and beautiful. Don’t let the triggers scare you off.
I highly recommend this book — It is one of the most beautifully written, fully realized novels I have read in some time.
This should come with flashing neon trigger warnings, as it is rough in places. It is worth finding a way around the triggers. Learn to skim. Get a neutral person to mark the rough spots for you to avoid. Whatever it takes.
I was already familiar with this part of California, but I feel like I drove down back streets and set off the neighborhood dogs along driveways I I looked in people’s windows, hearts and minds.
Life is rough and unfair and brutal, and doesn’t come with trigger warnings. But life can also be so randomly beautiful that it makes tears spring to your eyes.
This book. Brutal and beautiful. Don’t let the triggers scare you off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
There are so many sensitive topics in this book, and even I cringed at some of them. I felt that each case was written in service to the plot without being exploitative or gross. Refer to my review — I felt it was worth the skimming/cringing for the payoff.
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